South Hadley picks a pair of local heroes for St. Patrick's festivities

The Republican | Dave RobackThomas Carey of Carey's Flowers in South Hadley has been named Grand Marshal for South Hadley in the Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade. He also will receive an Irish Knights award.

Business owner Thomas Carey will be Grand Marshal of the South Hadley section of the parade. South Hadley Senior Center director Joanne Trybus will receive an Irish Knights Award at the Irish Night celebration.

They will both be wearing sashes in the parade. Trybus will ride in a convertible as she waves to spectators, and Carey plans to walk the parade route, said Jacki Reardon, who has served as South Hadley’s liaison to the Holyoke Parade for the past seven years.

South Hadley is one of several cities and towns that have contingents in the nationally known Holyoke parade. That parade is scheduled for March 18 this year.

Before that, Carey and Trybus will be honored at the Irish Night gala in Chicopee on March 10.

The Republican | Don TreegerSouth Hadley Senior Center director Joanne Trybus is being honored with an Irish Knights award from the South Hadley St. Patrick's Parade Committee.

“Joanne is being honored for all she does for the Senior Center and all the exposure she brings to South Hadley,” said Reardon, who is clearly a fan of the Senior Center and its programs.

She says that when her dad turned 90, the senior center celebrated his birthday. “I can’t tell you how many people were there for him!” said Trybus.

Thomas Carey, South Hadley’s Grand Marshal in the Holyoke parade, is owner of Carey’s Flowers in South Hadley, which is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year.

He has been a great supporter of the St. Patrick’s committee, said Reardon.

The South Hadley Committee also provides a float for the Holyoke parade. Bill Schenker, chairman of the South Hadley St. Patrick’s committee, supervises a group of about 10 volunteers who build the float out of paper flowers.

Four weeks before the parade, they had not yet decided what the float would look like, but Schenker said this year it would honor the history of the Holyoke parade.

Irish Night is sponsored by the South Hadley Lions Club in partnership with the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee and the South Hadley committee.

The celebration will begin with a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and dancing to the live music of Leo Doherty. Irish step dancers will also perform.